One day

It's Saturday, one day away from the Austin Marathon and I'm icing my left knee, popping Advil and reading updates from the race directors on whether forecasted ice and rain will hinder our 7 a.m. start.

First of all, I love Austin. Last night I ran a quick three miles down the Town Lake gravel path and into Austin's incredible Warehouse District and up to the Capitol - the second largest in America, second only to the U.S. Capitol. At about mile two, my eyes were wandering in and out of some great little bars and restaurants and my knee started throbbing. I slowed, stretched and tried to think positively. Luckily, I was in a new city - a great city - that offered sights to keep my mind busy.

We at at Sullivan's Steakhouse, in the Ringside Bar and listened to great music from The Brew (accompanied by skilled - old - dancing couples). The downtown area is in walking distance from our hotel, which made it all the easier to soak in a new city.

I've been hydrating, stretching and icing all day. We met some extended family for lunch, then headed to a great running store, RunTex, to pick up some BodyGlide and try to score a free massage. Left with the miracle salve, a foam roller for the knee (worked wonders), new shades and a great Pearl Izumi shirt.

Speaking of Pearl Izumi, they have a great cause effort on their Web site. Front and center, easy to access and understand - even a cool line of products that when purchased send 20 percent to selected organizations. PI has a huge presence at this marathon and I predict will soon accelerate to an even more popular tech wear company and Citizen Brand.

Pasta dinner tonight and an early bedtime, both which I'm hoping will yield a fresh and energized start when the alarm goes off at 4.